Teamwork-Magazine

CLAAS presents the new SMART PUSH bucket system

CLAAS offers a broad range of machines for handling agricultural materials on the farm – from wheeled loaders and telehandlers to transport and loader wagons, and tractors with front loaders. Now, CLAAS is further extending its product range with the development of its new SMART PUSH bucket, providing additional customer benefits.

The SMART PUSH solution is unique on the market in that the load can be discharged without the need to tip the bucket. Instead, the material is simply pushed out, allowing greater overhead discharge heights for small and mid-sized TORION wheel loader models, and for CLAAS tractors with front loaders.

The SMART PUSH principle

The core of SMART PUSH is a movable rear panel that can be easily operated using the third control circuit. To empty the bucket, the driver only has to move it into the desired position, for example alongside a mixed-feed wagon or at the intake for a biogas plant, and then push the contents into the container while maintaining the bucket in a horizontal position. This means the bucket can be emptied without the need for tipping. In this way, the driver is able to maintain full control of the discharge process at all times, and also optimally control the amount of material being emptied.

Hydraulic overload protection

Material uptake is the same as for a standard bucket, with the standard hydraulic overload protection preventing any operating errors. The protection system operates completely independently of the controls, and remains operational even when the hydraulic connections are decoupled.

Since the SMART PUSH bucket no longer needs to be tipped, greater overhead discharge heights are possible using the same wheel loader and tractor models, where previously this would have only been possible using larger models. This pays dividends particularly for all-round vehicles as used on many farms, for example for loading mixed-feed wagons or high-walled transport vehicles. In addition, the driver has an optimal view of the bucket and load during the controlled hydraulic discharge process.

SMART PUSH loose material bucket for greater load capacity

The SMART PUSH loose material bucket is an alternative to the traditional high-tip bucket which frequently limits the load capacity of smaller wheel loaders, given its high tare weight. In contrast, using the SMART PUSH bucket allows the load capacity of the base vehicle to be utilized fully. Additionally, the SMART PUSH bucket requires less room than a high-tip bucket at the point of discharge, because the bucket’s position does not change, and it also has a considerably smaller displacement of centre of gravity. This makes working in farm buildings with low ceilings much easier.

Also available with top grab

The SMART PUSH bucket can also be purchased with a top grab, which likewise requires just a single additional hydraulic control circuit. When discharging, only the grab arm opens to begin with. The material is pushed out by the rear panel automatically only once the grab arm reaches a certain angle. As a result, the grab opening and pushing out the material are optimally coordinated. The SMART PUSH bucket can be purchased for all small and mid-sized CLAAS TORION models, as well as for the FL80 to FL250 CLAAS tractor front loaders. Bucket volumes range from 1,760 l for the small models to 4,100 l for the mid-sized models.

The new CLAAS SMART PUSH buckets with a total capacity (bucket + contents) of 1.8 t and above will be available exclusively from CLAAS dealers from 1 January 2018.